thalamocortical system

the thalamus and cerebral cortex collectively. These parts of the brain are so closely and reciprocally interconnected—especially in mammals—that they are often treated as a single system. Normal functioning of this system appears to be necessary for conscious experiences and voluntary actions. During waking states, groups of neurons in this system exhibit a pattern of continuous firing. During states of reduced consciousness, such as deep sleep, the entire system goes into an oscillatory mode characterized by neuronal burst–pause firing.

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Psychology term of the day

October 5th 2024

partition

1. vb. in statistics and measurement, to divide variance observed in the dependent variable into component elements on the basis of its nature and origin.

2. n. a specific component of the observed variance (e.g., variance due to a treatment effect and variance due to random error).